Machine for making percussion-caps



PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD M. BOUTON, OF TEST TROY, NEW' YORK.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PERCUSSION-CAPS.

VSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,196, dated March 20, 1849.

.To all whom t may concern:

` Be it known that I, RICHARD M. BoU'roN, of l/Vest Troy, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Forming or Making the Capsules of APercussion-Caps or Primers for Muskets and other Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference beinghadto the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in whicha Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a right-hand profile elevation; Fig. 3, four views of the transfer apparatus, full size. Fig. at is the star-punch, with its picker, lower die, and thiinble all in section, full size. Fig. 5 is the forming-punch and its die in sec y tion, full size.

This machine consists, essentially, of two vertical punches, of which one cuts the star or blank of which the capsule is formed, and the other forms the capsule by compression. These punches are at their upper ends attached each to its respective arm on the same end of a doubleheaded lever, and consequently both Inove at the saine time, and their `operations are combined, in effect, by Inechan- L L represent the main lever or double-A headed lever, by which the punches are worked. Its long arm is, by aconnectingnod and crank-pin, connected with the crank of the crank -arbon h h are the short arms or double head, to which are attached the two runners R R', which carry the punches.

1A 2 3 4 are the guides through which the runners work. These runners may be operated by cams on an arbor passing over their upper ends, or through openings or offsets in the middle of their lengths. In this case the main lever and crank-arbor can be dispensed with and power be applied to the cam-arbor direct.

K K K represent abench or shelf proj ecting from the frame, on which are the die-beds F and F. The right-hand half of this bench is elevated higher than the lefthand half of its length, in order that the stardie on this part shall be higher than the for1ningdie on the left-hand half, and that the groove or way of the director d d, &c., which rests on this part, may be on a level with the face of the form-ing-die V.

F is the diebed of the star-punch. This is square above the bench, and has a round shank passing down into the bench, to which it isiixed by a screw from below. The stardie U has a round hollow shank passing down into this bed, and is supported by a iiange Fig. 4C, at its upper end, resting on the top of the dic-bed. Tithin this shank of the star-die is a conical steel tube or thimble co, Fig. at, the lower end of which rests on the director and transfer-slide, it reaching up to the cutting part of the star-die. Its internal diameter is exact-ly equal to the diameter of the star or blank, which, falling from the star-punch through it, is conducted to its proper position on the transfer. The starpunch, with its pieken (lie, and thimble, is seen in section, full size, in Fig. 4. (The picker and thimble are omitted in the model.)

F is the die-bed of the forming-punch. This is round and has a shank passing down through the bench, to which it is ixed by a screw-nut on it below. Through the axis of this shank and of the forming-die operates the elevator e. In a socket in this bed stands the forming-die V. Its upper surface is on a level with the way of the director c7, T. This die is seen in section, full size, in Fig. 5 V, as is also Z Z the forming-punch, which is com? pound, having an outer shell z, which plan-V ishes the flange of the capsule and an internal or center punch e', which forms the inside. This center punch has a shank passing up through the axis of the shell c, and is secured by a crosskey near the bottom or by a countersunk nut` at the upper end. This arrangement by equalizing the thickness of the several parts allows a better temper, and consequently insures a more perfect operation and more durability.

T T T are three views of the transfer,

full size; T, the slide with lower face upward; b, the boss, in which the pin i of the connecting-link Z Works. T shows the plate and link U', Fig. l, is the star-punch. This punch,

with its picker, and the star-die, with its in-V cluded thimble, are shown full size in vertical section in Fig. 4, where q is the picker, with its spiral spring above it, and -ou the thimble. The office of the picker is to prevent the adhesion of the stars to the face of the punch.

C C represent the crank-arbor, to which the power is applied. On this is the collar and flange D D, on which is the feed-cam c, which operates the feed-lever f, and'through the double hands P P works the ratchets o r of the feed-rollers. On the opposite face of this collar is the cam c of the elevator-lever E E, Which,through the racking arbor E and arm a, raises the elevator e, lifting the capsule out of the forming-die. It is returned by the spiral spring s s s, Fig. l.

N is the anvil, onjwhich the elevator rests while a capsule is being pressed. It has an adjusting screw and nut.

G G, &c., represent the cam-lever of the transfer apparatus. It is fast on its axis J J, which works in the bracket H H, &c., and is operated by the cylinder-cam I on the crankarbor and returned by a spiral spring on the axis J J. The lever tt is free on the axis J J, but is constrained to move in concert with G by means of a spring, which allows it, together with the transfer, to yield to extraordinary resistance, while the cam andfast lever pursue their way, thus preventing injury to the machine.

a is the gage, A cap of steel over the head of the forming-die, with semicircular notch in its edge, against which the star is driven by the transfer and held concentric with the forming-die unt-il seized by the forining-punch.

y y represent the driver, a slender lever suspended by its upper end and thrown forward by a spring` y. Its lower end is bent forward over the face of the forming-die,

somewhat in the form of a human foot and leg, Fig. 2. It is operated by a pin in the runner R pressing against a tumbler and holding it behind the punch while a capsule is being formed and releasing it instantly when the capsule is raised by the elevator above the gage u.

n n represent the feed-rollers. There is a similar pair behind the punch to continue thelprogress of the ribbon after it has passed the front rollers. m is a lever to open and close the feed-rollers. All these parts are attached to a movable plate K, covering thel front of the bench K, &c.

Operation: The material is cutin ribbons of such width as will admit of two rows of blanks or stars being cut from each lengthwise; but the machine may be so constructed without departing from its principles as to work from ribbons of any width. One end ot' a ribbon being inserted between the feedrollers n n is by them drawn in, while a row of stars is successively cut near Vone edge throughout its length. Vhen not enough surface remains for another star, a trigger (not shown) which has ridden upon its surface drops off at the end and by mechanical connections stops the machine. Each star as soon as cut is projected by the picker q down through the thimble fu fu, Fig. 4, upon the face of the transfer, which at this instant is holding a previous star against the gage 'a under the forming-punch z. On its return its operating end passes beyond the thimble, which consequently sweeps the star deposited in it off of' the transfer into the way of the director, and the next stroke of the transfer drives it to the forming-die, while another star is being dropped from the star-punch, so that only one star is in the thimble at the same time. While the formingfpunch rises out of its die the elevator e raises the capsule after it above the gage, whence the driver, y kicks it into the mouth of a receiving-tube, (not shown,) which conveys it to the reservoir. The elevator now sinks, the driver re- 1. The combination and arrangement of the mechanism .above described for producing the combined operations herein fully set forth of feeding the metallic ribbon to the star-die U', punching the blank from the ribbon, transferring the blank to the formingdie V by the transferring apparatus T T T TU', punching the blank into the forming- 2. The transferring apparatus constructed substantially as described, in combination with the punches.

R. M. BOUTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN HAsTINGs, JONATHAN HART. 

